Alfred Schmitt

Alfred Schmitt was a French astronomer. Schmitt worked at Algiers Observatory in the 1930s and 1940s and at the Observatoire Royal [de Belgique|Royal Observatory] in Uccle, Belgium in the 1950s. From 1955 to 1958 he was also director of the Quito [Astronomical Observatory|Quito Observatory] in Ecuador. He extensively studied minor planets and comets and is credited with having discovered four asteroids.

Personal life

Between 1940 and 1948 he married his colleague, astronomer Odette Bancilhon and thereafter she signed her work as O. Schmitt-Bancilhon.

Schmitt's publications are all signed A. Schmitt, following the practice of his profession at that time.

In 1932, Schmitt discovered an asteroid while working at the Algiers Observatory and named it in honor of his colleague, Louis Boyer – asteroid 1215 Boyer.
20 years later, Boyer named 1617 Alschmitt in Schmitt's honor.